Terms and Conditions of Access and Use

The SADER Legal Archives preserve more than 160 years of primary legal and legislative materials documenting the legal heritage of Lebanon and the wider Arab world. By making these holdings accessible in digital form, SADER Legal Publishing (“SADER”) advances its founding mission: to cultivate legal culture and ensure that the region’s legal memory remains a living resource for scholars and practitioners everywhere.
By accessing or using the Archives, you (“the User”) agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please discontinue use.

1. Access and Subscriptions
The Archives catalogue may be browsed without charge. Access to the full digital holdings, including viewing and downloading scans, is available through a paid subscription or an institutional licence agreement.
• Individual subscriptions are offered to researchers and legal professionals. Subscription tiers and pricing are published on the platform and may be updated from time to time.
• Institutional licences are available to universities, law faculties, government bodies, and other qualifying organisations. Institutional terms are determined on a case-by-case basis. Enquiries may be directed to the contact address in Section 10.
Registration is personal and non-transferable. You are responsible for the security of your credentials and for all activity conducted under your account. SADER reserves the right to verify identities and to approve or revoke access at its discretion.

2. Content
The Archives comprise digital scans and metadata drawn from SADER’s holdings. These include Ottoman-era codes, French Mandate legislation, Lebanese statutory texts, judicial decisions, and the historical runs of al-Majala al-Qaḍāʾiyya and related legal periodicals. All such materials, together with any editorial annotations, are referred to in these Terms as “Content.”

3. Permitted Use
Subscribers may view, download, and print Content for personal research or academic study within the scope of their subscription. Users may cite limited excerpts in scholarly or legal works, provided the SADER Legal Archives are clearly credited as the source.

4. Restrictions
Unless SADER has given prior written consent, Users shall not:
(a) reproduce or redistribute Content, in whole or in part, through any medium;
(b) use Content for any commercial purpose;
(c) modify Content or create derivative works from it;
(d) remove or obscure any watermarks or proprietary notices;
(e) employ automated tools or scrapers to access or extract Content;
(f) use Content, in any form, to train or develop artificial intelligence or machine learning systems.
Users who wish to use Content beyond these limits are welcome to contact SADER to discuss licensing arrangements.

5. Intellectual Property
The Archives, including all digital scans, editorial work, and curatorial arrangement, are the property of SADER and are protected under applicable Lebanese and international law. Certain primary legal texts may be in the public domain under the laws of their country of origin; SADER’s digitisation and organisation of those texts remain proprietary. These Terms grant no ownership or licence beyond the limited right of Permitted Use.

6. Privacy
SADER collects the personal data provided during registration for the purposes of account administration and platform improvement. SADER does not sell or share personal data with third parties for marketing. Users may request access to, or deletion of, their data by writing to the contact address below. SADER applies appropriate safeguards to protect personal data and will disclose information only where required by law.

7. Disclaimers
The Archives are provided “as is.” While SADER endeavours to ensure accuracy, it does not warrant that Content is free from error or omission. Content is made available for informational and research purposes and does not constitute legal advice. SADER shall not be liable for any damages arising from the use of, or inability to use, the Archives.

8. Changes and Termination
SADER may amend these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated to subscribers by email; continued use following such notice constitutes acceptance. SADER may suspend or terminate access without prior notice in the event of a breach of these Terms.

9. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Lebanon. Users accessing the Archives from outside Lebanon acknowledge that they are also bound by the applicable laws of their own jurisdiction, particularly with respect to data protection and consumer rights.
In the event of a dispute arising from these Terms, the competent courts of Beirut shall have jurisdiction, unless a separate institutional licence agreement specifies otherwise.

10. Contact
For subscription enquiries, licensing requests, or questions about these Terms:
SADER Legal Archives
SADER Legal Publishing, Beirut, Lebanon
archives@sader.com.lb